phaedo-第13章

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who　has　not　been　ungracious　to　us；　I　think；　but　what　shall　I　say　to



the　Theban　Cadmus；　and　how　shall　I　propitiate　him？



　　I　think　that　you　will　discover　a　way　of　propitiating　him；　said



Cebes；　I　am　sure　that　you　have　answered　the　argument　about　harmony



in　a　manner　that　I　could　never　have　expected。　For　when　Simmias



mentioned　his　objection；　I　quite　imagined　that　no　answer　could　be



given　to　him；　and　therefore　I　was　surprised　at　finding　that　his



argument　could　not　sustain　the　first　onset　of　yours；　and　not



impossibly　the　other；　whom　you　call　Cadmus；　may　share　a　similar　fate。



　　Nay；　my　good　friend；　said　Socrates；　let　us　not　boast；　lest　some　evil



eye　should　put　to　flight　the　word　which　I　am　about　to　speak。　That；



however；　may　be　left　in　the　hands　of　those　above；　while　I　draw　near　in



Homeric　fashion；　and　try　the　mettle　of　your　words。　Briefly；　the　sum　of



your　objection　is　as　follows：　You　want　to　have　proven　to　you　that



the　soul　is　imperishable　and　immortal；　and　you　think　that　the



philosopher　who　is　confident　in　death　has　but　a　vain　and　foolish



confidence；　if　he　thinks　that　he　will　fare　better　than　one　who　has　led



another　sort　of　life；　in　the　world　below；　unless　he　can　prove　this；



and　you　say　that　the　demonstration　of　the　strength　and　divinity　of　the



soul；　and　of　her　existence　prior　to　our　becoming　men；　does　not



necessarily　imply　her　immortality。　Granting　that　the　soul　is



longlived；　and　has　known　and　done　much　in　a　former　state；　still　she　is



not　on　that　account　immortal；　and　her　entrance　into　the　human　form　may



be　a　sort　of　disease　which　is　the　beginning　of　dissolution；　and　may　at



last；　after　the　toils　of　life　are　over；　end　in　that　which　is　called



death。　And　whether　the　soul　enters　into　the　body　once　only　or　many



times；　that；　as　you　would　say；　makes　no　difference　in　the　fears　of



individuals。　For　any　man；　who　is　not　devoid　of　natural　feeling；　has



reason　to　fear；　if　he　has　no　knowledge　or　proof　of　the　soul's



immortality。　That　is　what　I　suppose　you　to　say；　Cebes；　which　I



designedly　repeat；　in　order　that　nothing　may　escape　us；　and　that　you



may；　if　you　wish；　add　or　subtract　anything。



　　But；　said　Cebes；　as　far　as　I　can　see　at　present；　I　have　nothing　to



add　or　subtract；　you　have　expressed　my　meaning。



　　Socrates　paused　awhile；　and　seemed　to　be　absorbed　in　reflection。



At　length　he　said：　This　is　a　very　serious　inquiry　which　you　are



raising；　Cebes；　involving　the　whole　question　of　generation　and



corruption；　about　which　I　will；　if　you　like；　give　you　my　own



experience；　and　you　can　apply　this；　if　you　think　that　anything　which　I



say　will　avail　towards　the　solution　of　your　difficulty。



　　I　should　very　much　like；　said　Cebes；　to　hear　what　you　have　to　say。



　　Then　I　will　tell　you；　said　Socrates。　When　I　was　young；　Cebes；　I



had　a　prodigious　desire　to　know　that　department　of　philosophy　which　is



called　Natural　Science；　this　appeared　to　me　to　have　lofty　aims；　as



being　the　science　which　has　to　do　with　the　causes　of　things；　and　which



teaches　why　a　thing　is；　and　is　created　and　destroyed；　and　I　was　always



agitating　myself　with　the　consideration　of　such　questions　as　these：　Is



the　growth　of　animals　the　result　of　some　decay　which　the　hot　and



cold　principle　contracts；　as　some　have　said？　Is　the　blood　the



element　with　which　we　think；　or　the　air；　or　the　fire？　or　perhaps



nothing　of　this　sort…but　the　brain　may　be　the　originating　power　of　the



perceptions　of　hearing　and　sight　and　smell；　and　memory　and　opinion　may



come　from　them；　and　science　may　be　based　on　memory　and　opinion　when　no



longer　in　motion；　but　at　rest。　And　then　I　went　on　to　examine　the　decay



of　them；　and　then　to　the　things　of　heaven　and　earth；　and　at　last　I



concluded　that　I　was　wholly　incapable　of　these　inquiries；　as　I　will



satisfactorily　prove　to　you。　For　I　was　fascinated　by　them　to　such　a



degree　that　my　eyes　grew　blind　to　things　that　I　had　seemed　to



myself；　and　also　to　others；　to　know　quite　well；　and　I　forgot　what　I



had　before　thought　to　be　self…evident；　that　the　growth　of　man　is　the



result　of　eating　and　drinking；　for　when　by　the　digestion　of　food　flesh



is　added　to　flesh　and　bone　to　bone；　and　whenever　there　is　an



aggregation　of　congenial　elements；　the　lesser　bulk　becomes　larger



and　the　small　man　greater。　Was　not　that　a　reasonable　notion？



　　Yes；　said　Cebes；　I　think　so。



　　Well；　but　let　me　tell　you　something　more。　There　was　a　time　when　I



thought　that　I　understood　the　meaning　of　greater　and　less　pretty　well；



and　when　I　saw　a　great　man　standing　by　a　little　one　I　fancied　that　one



was　taller　than　the　other　by　a　head；　or　one　horse　would　appear　to　be



greater　than　another　horse：　and　still　more　clearly　did　I　seem　to



perceive　that　ten　is　two　more　than　eight；　and　that　two　cubits　are　more



than　one；　because　two　is　twice　one。



　　And　what　is　now　your　notion　of　such　matters？　said　Cebes。



　　I　should　be　far　enough　from　imagining；　he　replied；　that　I　knew　the



cause　of　any　of　them；　indeed　I　should；　for　I　cannot　satisfy　myself



that　when　one　is　added　to　one；　the　one　to　which　the　addition　is　made



becomes　two；　or　that　the　two　units　added　together　make　two　by　reason



of　the　addition。　For　I　cannot　understand　how；　when　separated　from



the　other；　each　of　them　was　one　and　not　two；　and　now；　when　they　are



brought　together；　the　mere　juxtaposition　of　them　can　be　the　cause　of



their　becoming　two：　nor　can　I　understand　how　the　division　of　one　is



the　way　to　make　two；　for　then　a　different　cause　would　produce　the　same



effect…as　in　the　former　instance　the　addition　and　juxtaposition　of　one



to　one　was　the　cause　of　two；　in　this　the　separation　and　subtraction　of



one　from　the　other　would　be　the　cause。　Nor　am　I　any　longer　satisfied



that　I　understand　the　reason　why　one　or　anything　else　either　is



generated　or　destroyed　or　is　at　all；　but　I　have　in　my　mind　some



confused　notion　of　another　method；　and　can　never　admit　this。



　　Then　I　heard　someone　who　had　a　book　of　Anaxagoras；　as　he　said；　out



of　which　he　read　that　mind　was　the　disposer　and　cause　of　all；　and　I



was　quite　delighted　at　the　notion　of　this；　which　appeared　admirable；



and　I　said　to　myself：　If　mind　is　the　disposer；　mind　will　dispose　all



for　the　best；　and　put　each　particular　in　the　best　place；　and　I



argued　that　if　anyone　desired　to　find　out　the　cause　of　the



generation　or　destruction　or　existence　of　anything；　he　must　find　out



what　state　of　being　or　suffering　or　doing　was　best　for　that　thing；　and



therefore　a　man　had　only　to　consider　the　best　for　himself　and



others；　and　then　he　would　also　know　the　worse；　for　that　the　same



science　comprised　both。　And　I　rejoiced　to　think　that　I　had　found　in



Anaxagoras　a　teacher　of　the　causes　of　existence　such　as　I　desired；　and



I　imagined　that　he　would　tell　me　first　whether　the　earth　is　flat　or



round；　and　then　he　would　further　explain　the　cause　and　the　necessity



of　this；　and　would　teach　me　the　nature　of　the　best　and　show　that



this　was　best；　and　if　he　said　that　the　earth　was　in　the　centre；　he



would　explain　that　this　position　was　the　best；　and　I　should　be



satisfied　if　this　were　shown　to　me；　and　not　want　any　other　sort　of



cause。　And　I　thought　that　I　would　then　go　and　ask　him　about　the　sun



and　moon　and　stars；　and　that　he　would　explain　to　me　their



comparative　swiftness；　and　their　returnings　and　various　states；　and



how　their　several　affections；　active　and　passive；　were　all　for　the



best。　For　I　could　not　imagine　that　when　he　spoke　of　mind　as　the



disposer　of　them；　he　would　give　any　other　account　of　their　being　as



they　are；　except　that　this　was　best；　and　I　thought　when　he　had



explained　to　me　in　detail　the　cause　of　each　and　the　cause　of　all；　he



would　go　on　to　explain　to　me　what　was　best　for　each　and　what　was



best　for　all。　I　had　hopes　which　I　would　not　have　sold　for　much；　and



I　seized　the　books　and　read　them　as　fast　as　I　could　in　my　eagerness